Automatic swimming pool cleaner



1965 E. w. RUSTON 3,217,886

AUTOMATIC SWIMMING POOL CLEANER Filed Aug. 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 x if) I I A Ag INVENTOR. EDWARD PV. 21/6" 7 ON 10 76 ,5 WWW ATTORNEY' Nov. 16, 1965 E. w. RUSTON 3,217,886

AUTOMATIC SWIMMING POOL CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 INVENTOR.

EDWARD M KUSTO/V AYTOPNEY United States Patent 3,217,386 AUTOMATIC SWIMMING PGUL CLEANER Edward W. Ruston, 5501 E. Wonderville, Phoenix, Ariz. Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 21,549 4 Claims. (Cl. 210-16?) My invention relates to an automatic swimming pool cleaner. It relates more in particular to an automatic swimming pool cleaner in which a plurality of flexible hoses are caused to move sinuously, but in an irregular pattern over the bottom and side surface of a swimming pool to abrade foreign matter from the surface, and suspend said foreign matter in the water so that it can be withdrawn from the Water and removed from suspension in an ordinary type of filter.

Maintaining a clean, safe swimming pool with available equipment and chemicals is at best a tedious, time consuming problem. It involves, as a rule, the introduction of chlorine into the water with or without additional chemicals. Chlorine is normally introduced in the form of a gas or in the form of a hypochlorite. As a rule, the introduction of chlorine into small swimming pools has been difficult because of the unavailability of suitable apparatus, but in more recent years apparatus for introducing gas chlorine have been available. Chlorine will eventually generate some hydrochloric acid even though the bathing load be heavy and the make-up water is on the alkaline side. More commonly chlorine is now produced as a solid tablet as in the form of calicum hypochlorite. Liquid suspensions of chlorine are also made available and they reduce the amount of alkaline carried into the pool water. In general, however, when chlorine is added by the tablet or liquid it is necessary to control the pH by the addition of hydrochloric acid.

Cleaning, in general, is accomplished in two ways, both practices being required. Dirt introduced into the pool by bathing, through blown dust and in other ways is normally removed by a vacuuming procedure by use of special equipment. In addition, various materials will settle on the surface of the pool which are not readily removable by means of the vacuum equipment. These materials are of various types, but in general comprise salts and other compounds which are normal to the water; wind blown inorganic chemicals, earth and the like which have an afiinity for the surface; calcium introduced as calcium hypochlorite and miscellaneous organisms such as algae, some of which will gain entrance to a pool regardless of the use of chlorine and algaecides. Various brushes are used to remove this surface material and a great deal of hard muscular work is necessary even with the use of steel brushes if the surface is to be kept smooth. Actually, too rugged use of a steel brush, necessary to the removal of surface accretions, will at the same time scorify the surface.

Various devices and methods have been suggested for removing from the swimming pool surface material which is not taken up by the ordinary vacuuming operation. Illustrative of this method and equipment is Blumenfeld, Patent Number 2,919,027 and Pansini, Patents Numbers 2,975,791 and 3,032,044. Each of these patents involves the use of relatively expensive equipment and, in general, they are designed for intermittent use; that is to say, they are intended for use by a Serviceman who will maintain 'several pieces of equipment and place them individually in pools for a matter of days to do a clean up job. They appear to depend for their cleaning primarily on the operation of a single jet of water delivered at relatively high speed to the surface to be cleaned, and utilize control equipment to cause such jet to operate over substantially all of the surfaces of the pool. None of these prior art devices is intended to function in place of a vacuum cleaner and none has the capacity to do so.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an improved cleaning apparatus for swimming pools particularly for use in relatively small swimming pools of the type owned by individuals.

Another object is the provision of improved swimming pool cleaning apparatus adapted for use by the ordinary individual.

A further object is the provision of a swimming pool cleaning apparatus which can be left in the swimming pool more or less indefinitely.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of swimming pool cleaning apparatus which is readily adjustable to perform its function most efficiently regardless of conditions encountered at a given time.

A still further object is the provision of a swimming pool cleaning apparatus which can be produced and sold at relatively very low cost so as to be made available to the individual swimming pool owner.

Other specific objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a small swimming pool with a device of my present invention applied thereto, the water circulation means, pump and filter, being shown in part schematically;

FIG. 2 is a plan view;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 with the equipment shown in part in ele- .va'tion;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view partly broken away showing features of construction;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which the supply line is attached to the manifold;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but show ing a modification;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the manner in which the cleaning hose is attached to the manifold in FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary partial view indicating a still further modification.

In the apparatus of my present invention I provide a plurality of flexible hoses suflicient in number and length to span substantially the entire bottom of the pool and at least part of the sidewalls. These hoses may be supported in any manner at, or preferably relatively near, the bottom surface of the swimming pool that movement thereof will cause such hoses to sweep across and engage against the entire bottom surface. The hoses are provided with means for supplying water thereto, suitably a manifold which may be supported above the bottom surface, on the bottom surface, or even below the bottom surface, so that all of the flexible hoses are provided with water at substantially the same pressure. Water is continuously removed from the pool, passed through the regular filter and returned to the pool and it is principally all or a part of this water which is delivered to the flexible 3 surface scouring hoses mounted at or near the bottom surface.

Significant in the practice of my invention is the balance of forces involved, including the size of the hose, the amount of water delivered therethrough and the pressure thereof, as will be explained more in detail below. I provide means for returning either all or only a part of the water to the pool through the flexible scouring hoses to facilitate in maintaining such balance.

The equipment for carrying out the apparatus of the present invention is relatively very inexpensive and the flexible scouring hoses may be kept in continuous operation except when using the pool, and even during the time the pool is being used if desired. I have found that by the use of my present method it is unnecessary at any time to employ vacuum equipment to remove material from the bottom of the pool.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a swimming pool indicated generally by the reference character It) and having a bottom surface 11, with a shallow end 12 and a deep end 13. The pool has the usual generally vertical, but rounded sidewalls 14- the top edges of which are covered by a suitable coping 16. It is in this type of swimming pool that my method is practiced and, also, in this general type of swimming pool in which the apparatus of the present invention is installed on a permanent or semipermanent or temporary basis, depending upon the specific construction and condition of a particular installation.

Running longitudinally of the pool is a tubular water distributing manifold 17 which also supports, in a manner to be described, a plurality of elongated scouring hoses, 4 in number in the present installation and identified by the reference character 18, 19, 21 and 22. The water distributing manifold 17 is held in a position generally centrally of the pools body by means of a pair of cords 23 and 24 attached to the coping as shown in FIG. 1. The manifold, however, is supported in spaced relation to bottom surface of the pool by means of a pair of floats 26. Water is supplied from a filter 27 in a manner to be described through a flexible hose 28; and this hose is connected to the manifold 17 through a T 29 (FIG. 5). Preferably a quick disconnecting fitting 31 (FIG. 5) similar to that used on a fire hose is employed for ready detachment of the flexible supply hose 28, but other forms of connections may be used. A third float 32 is secured to the flexible supply hose at a point near the manifold 17 to thus have the effect of supporting both the center of the manifold and the suspended end of the flexible supply hose 28. In the drawing the entire assembly is symmetrical, the flexible supply hose 28 being connected to substantially the center of the manifold, and there being two scouring hoses, positioned in regular spaced relation at the two sides. It should be understood, however, that normally very few installations are entirely symmetrical,

the arrangement shown being for purposes of illustration.

The manifold 17 is preferably formed of semi-solid plastic hose which will normally take a path as illustrated in FIG. 3, so that it can be made to follow generally along the camber of the bottom. The fittings are also preferably formed of the same material, and the flexible scouring hoses are a resilient plastic which can be bent freely to most any shape. As a consequence, the manifold can be formed of sections of pipe with a single central T 29, a plurality of intermediate Ts 33 and reducing elbows 34, all secured together by suitable means such as plastic welding. The flexible scouring hoses are also attached to the fittings at their upper ends by suitable means such as plastic Welding, so that the entire assembly may be inexpensively put together. In place of the reducing elbows 34 reducing couplings may be used if desired, but I prefer to direct the scouring hoses directly downwardly.

That those skilled in the art may have a better understanding of the manner in which the present invention functions, I wish to point out more in detail some parts of the water system, the rate of flow and the preferable size of the flexible scouring hoses for use in the ordinary home pool. The illustration in the drawing is based upon a pool size about 16 by 32 feet, holding approximately 18,000 gallons of water when full. The pump and filter are rated at 60 gallons per minute, employing the standard circulating system and assuming, of course, that the pump is in good operating condition and the filter clean.

In such a pool I provide a manifold 1 /2 inches in diameter and with a flexible water supply hose 28, also 1 /2 inches in diameter. The individual flexible scouring hoses are /2 inch in diameter and are not reinforced with any type of fibrous material; in other words, they are light weight flexible /2 inch plastic hoses, preferably formed of plastic material which is reasonably resistant to abrasion from the relatively rough bottom surface of the pool.

As part of the installation, I show a skimmer 36 and a bottom drain 37. Obviously, the vertical level of the surface of the water in the pool will be defined by the vertical height of the overflow into the skimmer 36. Lines 38 and 39 lead from the skimmer and drain respectively to a standard type of pump 41. The pump 41 delivers under pressure through a pipe 42 to the filter 27 the water which is received through the lines 38 and 39. Water which has passed through the filter is discharged to a line 43 and then to a T 44 for delivery respectively to the flexible supply hose 2S and a line 46 comprising a regular water return to the pool. A valve 47 control the return of flow to the supply hose 28 and a valve 48 controls the flow of Water through the return line 46.

One object of the invention is to balance the weight and reaction of the flexible scouring hoses against water flow and water pressure in such a manner that all of the scouring hoses have more or less the same type of action. This is a slow, sinuous, irregular, but continuous movement of the scouring hoses against the bottom surface of the pool and up against the side surfaces as indicated partly by the positions of the hoses 18 and 24 in FIG. 1. With an installation as described I have found that delivery of something over 40 gallons of water per minute through the four scouring hoses produces a very good scouring hose movement and cleaning action. Increasing the water flow will cause the hoses to whip faster and tend to lift them too much of the time away from the bottom surface. Too slow a water movement will tend to produce a sluggish responsive action, and even cause the sinuous moving action to cease entirely. Having provided a suitable design for a given installation and this can be accomplished more or less empirically-it is not necessary that the amount of water delivered be measured. It is only necessary to adjust the two valves 47 and 43 until the desired action of the scouring hoses is obtained. In a given installation, it is naturally true that as a filter will become dirty and there will then be less water moving through it, in such case it may be necessary to open valve 47 and close valve 48. When the filter has been suitably cleaned or otherwise replenished, however, the normal setting can again be had.

I preferably apply on the bottom end of each scouring hose a nozzle 49 which may be ordinary copper tubing which will fit snugly into the end of the hose and be retained by friction. The function of the nozzle 49 is not to provide a jet effect, but to produce an adjustment by means of which the water delivered through the four hoses and their action may be more or less equalized. All that i necessary in the adjustment is to slightly flatten the projecting end of the copper tube. If, notwithstanding the fact that the flexible scouring hoses have been balanced to provide the desired action, and notwithstanding the presence of the end nozzle 49, any one hose should show a tendency to ride too much off the bottom and up along the sidewalls, I may add to the projecting end of the nozzle 49 of such hose a frictionally held short length of tubing or hose 51, just heavy enough to add slightly to the weight at the end and hold the hose to hold it down without interfering with its normal movement.

Employing an installation as shown in FIG. 1, the equipment can be allowed to remain in place during all times that the pool is not being used. In a private pool, of course, this is the major part of every day. No vacuuming of the pool is necessary and the device of the present invention keeps the pool clean and smooth, although, of course, the usual chemical treatments continue to be necessary. If the pool is to be used only for a short time by the owner or resident, all that is necessary is to grasp the two tie lines or cords 23 and 24, and move the equipment over to the Side of the pool, leaving substantially the entire pool free for swimming. In the event guests are present, it would be desirable to remove all of the equipment, in which case the valve 47 will be closed and valve 48 opened fully. The quick disconnecting attachment 31 is operated to detach the supply hose 28 and the manifold and all attachments are removed bodily from the pool. When the guests leave, of course, the entire equipment may be returned easily and quickly to the position shown in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 I employ a manifold 117 which is shaped to the bottom of the pool and has a water supply hose portion 128 having the same function as the supply hose 28 in delivering water to the manifold. This form of the invention has a plurality of spaced elongated fiexible scouring hoses 120 and 130, said hoses facing oppositely fro-m each other and lying along the surface so as to be out of the way of bathers during the ordinary type of movement in the pool. This embodiment of the invention has, of course, the same water supply system and control valves as disclosed in FIG. 1, and the same types of controls are used. When people are bathing, if desired, the hoses can be shut off entirely by merely closing the valve 47 and opening the valve 48 fully.

FIG. 8 indicates still another embodiment of my invention in which a manifold 217 is embedded in the bottom surface of the concrete, gunite, or other material forming the body of the pool, so as not to obstruct the surface 211 in any way. This form of the invention also utilizes a plurality of elongated flexible scouring hoses 220 secured to rotatable supports 252 which are nonrotatably connected to water supply nozzles 253. In all respects except as shown in FIG. 8, the installation com prising this third embodiment of the invention can be identical to that shown in FIG. 1. The scouring hoses are so distributed that together they can engage substantially the entire bottom surface and at least part of the side surfaces of the pool. By withdrawing the fixtures 252 to which the hoses are attached, the entire bottom of the pool may be left unobstructed. In such case, of course, the water flow would be changed in the same manner that it is changed in the FIG. 1 system, or return water can be delivered entirely or in part through the fittings 220.

For reasons which I have not been able to determine,

the use of my invention appears to yield a special dividend so far as chemicals are concerned. I have found that I can reduce the amount of chemical added to the pool Water, without loss or impairment of function, when the apparatus of my present invention is in use.

I have described my invention in detail so that those skilled in the art may understand the manner of practicing the same; but the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. In a swimming pool having means therein establishin g a predetermined level at which water is to be substantially maintained therein, said pool being provided with a filter system for separating suspended foreign matter from the pool water comprising a pump for withdrawing water from the pool, a filter for removing foreign matter from said withdrawn water and means for returning the filtered water to the pool, the improved apparatus for maintaining foreign matter in suspension whereby it is separated from the pool water by said filter system, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a submerged water-supply manifold disposed closer to the bottom of the pool than to the surface of the water, generally symmetrically with respect to the sides of the pool and in substantially fixed relation thereto; and

(b) a plurality of scouring hoses attached at spaced points along said manifold, communicating with the interior thereof and extending generally laterally therefrom;

the length and spacing of said scouring hoses being se lected to provide for random abrading contact between substantially any area of the bottom of the pool and at least one of said hoses when water under pressure is pumped through said manifold and through said hoses thereby inducing random sinuous movement in said hoses, the length of said hoses being as a maximum only just sufiicient to achieve said random abrading contact in the areas abraded thereby which are not abraded by the immediately next adjacent hoses.

2. In a swimming pool having means therein establishing a predetermined level at which water is to be substantially maintained therein, said pool being provided with a filter system for separating suspended foreign matter from the pool water comprising a pump for withdrawing water from the pool, a filter for removing foreign matter from said withdrawn water and means for returning the filtered water to the pool, the improvements in combination therewith whereby foreign matter is maintained in suspension for separation from the pool water by said filter system, comprising:

(a) an elongated submerged water supply manifold disposed substantially below said level in the locus of the bottom of the pool and means supporting said manifold, in substantially fixed, generally symmetrical relation to the sides of the pool;

(b) a plurality of scouring hoses attached at spaced points along said manifold, communicating with the interior thereof and extending generally laterally therefrom;

the length and spacing of said scouring hoses being selected to provide for random abrading contact between substantially any area of the bottom of the pool and at least one of said hoses when water under pressure is pumped through said manifold and through said hoses thereby inducing random sinuous movement in said hoses, the length of said hoses being as a maximum only just suflicient to achieve said random abrading contact in the areas abraded thereby which are not abraded by the immediately next adjacent hoses.

3. Swimming pool-cleaning apparatus combination of claim 2 wherein said water supply manifold is carried by the bottom of the pool.

4. In a swimming pool having means therein establishing a predetermined level at which water is to be substantially maintained therein, said pool being provided with a filter gystem for separating suspended foreign matter from the pggl water comprising a pump for withdrawing water from the pool, a filter for removing foreign matter from said withdrawn water and means for returning the filtered water to the pool, the improvements in combination therewith whereby foreign matter is maintained in suspension for separation from the pool water by said filter system, comprising:

(a) a cleaning apparatus adapted for substantially permanent operation comprising (i) an elongated submerged water supply manifold disposed substantially below said level and generally longitudinally within said pool in the locus of the bottom thereof and means supporting said manifold in substantially fixed relation to the sides thereof; and (ii) a plurality of scouring hoses attached at spaced points along said manifold, communicating with the interior thereof, extending generally laterally therefrom and of sufficient length to at least reach a side of the pool when extended laterally perpendicularly from said manifold, the spacing and number of said scouring hoses being selected to provide for random abrading contact between substantially any area of the bottom of the pool and at least one of said hoses when Water under pressure is pumped through said manifold thereby inducing random sinuous movement in said hoses; and

(b) means associated with said filter system for returning a portion of the filtered water under pressure to said manifold and for regulating the amount of filtered water so returned, the length of said hoses being as a maximum only just sufficient to achieve said random abrading contact in the areas abraded thereby which are not abraded by the immediately next adjacent hoses.

UNITED References Cited by the Examiner STATES PATENTS Sutphen 2l0169 X Blumenfeld 210169 Pansini 210169 X Caraway M 210169 X Pansini 210l69 X Varian 210169 X Blumenfeld 210169 Gelinas 210169 X REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT L. MARTIN, Examiner. 

4. IN A SWIMMING POOL HAVING MEANS THEREIN ESTABLISHING A PREDETERMINED LEVEL AT WHICH WATER IS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTAINED THEREIN, SAID SPOOL BEING PROVIDED WITH A FILTER SYSTEM FOR SEPARATING SUSPENDED FOREIGN MATTER FROM THE POOL WATER COMPRISING A PUMP FOR WITHDRAWING WATER FROM THE POOL, FILTER FOR REMOVING FOREIGN MATTER FROM SAID WITHDRAWN WATER AND MEANS FOR RETURNING THE FILTERED WATER TO THE POOL, THE IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINATION THEREWITH WHEREBY FOREIGN MATTER IS MAINTAINED IN SUSPENSION FOR SEPARATING FROM THE POOL WATER BY SAID FILTER SYSTEM, COMPRISING: (A) A CLEANING APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR SUBSTANTIALLY PERMANANET OPERATION COMPRISING (I) AN ELONGATED SUBMERGED WATER SUPPLY MAINFOLD DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID LEVEL AND GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN SAID POOL IN THE LOCUS OF THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MANIFOLD IN SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED RELATION TO THE SIDES THEREOF; AND (II) A PLURALITY OF SCOURING HOSES ATTACHED AT SPACED POINTS ALONG SAID MANIFOLD, COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF, EXTENDING GENERALLY LATERALLY THEREFROM AND OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO AT LEAST REACH A SIDE OF THE POOL WHEN EXTENDED LATERALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM SAID MAINFOLD, THE SPACING AND NUMBER OF SAID SCOURING HOSES BEING SELECTED TO PROVIDE FOR RANDOM ABRADING CONTACT BETWEEN SUBSTANTIALLY ANY AREA OF THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HOSES WHEN WATER UNDER PRESSURE IS PUMPED THROUGH SAID MANIFOLD THEREBY INDUCING RANDOM SINUOUS MOVEMENT IN SAID HOSES; AND (B) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FILTER SYSTEM FOR RETURNING A PORTION OF THE FILTERED WATER UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID MANIFOLD AND FOR REGULATING THE AMOUNT OF FILTERED WATER SO RETURNED, THE LENGTH OF SAID HOSEDS BEING AS A MAXIMUM ONLY JUST SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE SAID RANDOM ABRADING CONTACT IN THE AREAS ABRADED THEREBY WHICH ARE NOT ABRADED BY THE IMMEDIATELY NEXT ADJACENT HOSES. 